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'Worst pain I've ever felt,' officer says


By Diane Dempsey Deel
The Flint Journal

ARGENTINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Police officers submitted to lightning beam force Wednesday to test out Tasers they will soon be using to settle down rowdy suspects.
The officers took a six-hour course to be certified on the Tasers, which will be implemented by the end of the year. It wasn't mandatory for the officers to be hit with the 50,000-volt electrical blast, although all township officers voluntarily submitted to the pain.
Police Chief Daniel Allen said the Tasers — the township bought two at $500 apiece - are intended to ward off deadly force and keep officers safe on the streets. For a small township, the Tasers are important, since the officers patrol alone and the closest police support is in Linden or Fenton.
"A lot of police agencies are going toward using Tasers," Allen said. "It reduces suspect injury, as well as officer injury. There's absolutely no way to resist it."
Dave White, master instructor with Taser International, said the electroshock weapons lower officer harm by 88 percent and to suspects by 69 percent. Having someone resisting arrest under electronic force also allows officers to handcuff them.
The Tasers the township purchased have a 25-foot range that hits a target with a sharp probe that causes immediate debilitating pain followed by the feeling of exhaustion. However, it leaves no permanent injury.
"It was the worst pain I have ever felt," said Officer Ryan Wilburn. "It totally incapacitated me. I wouldn't want to do it again."
However, electroshock weapons are not without controversy. Lennon Police Chief Christopher Hall is facing two felony counts after using a Taser on a 39-year-old man, who is claiming he was he was hit with the probe in a patrol car. The Shiawassee County prosecutor wouldn't detail the reason for the charges but said state law requires that officers receive certain training before they can possess a Taser and can only use one where reasonable.
Allen said Tasers generally reduce lawsuits rather than create new claims.
"I think they became more feasible after the Rodney King case where they used batons," Allen said. "This is what they call less than lethal defense."
Officer Teresa Walters, who was the first officer to submit to being shot with a Taser, said she thinks it's beneficial for all the officers. It's not something she or other officers want to use on anyone, but she is thankful to have it in case it is ever warranted.
"The feeling is beyond anything I have ever felt before," she said. "It is the reassurance that you will be safer. I will have five seconds to get the handcuffs out and if I need more time, I will just hold it down a little longer."
Argentine Township police Officer Doug Fulton displays his minor wound after submitting to being Tasered during a six-hour training course Wednesday.
The Taser and the one-time-use cartridge costs about $500.
Argentine Police Officer Doug Fulton gets help from fellow officer Archie Ravert and Taser instructor Dave White Wednesday after he submitted to being Tasered. The police department will soon be using Tasers on the streets.

Wire Service

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